Teeth cleaning is regularly required to maintain dental hygiene. Various films and residues, such as plaque, can build up on teeth and gums over a period of time, thereby adversely affecting oral health. In the past, toothbrushes have been utilized to remove such films and residues. Conventional toothbrushes typically have two ends with one end being a handle and the other containing bristles designed to disrupt and remove plaque and other residues from the surfaces being cleaned.
Although conventional toothbrushes are useful in a wide variety of environments, in some circumstances, they are less than desirable. For example, some individuals desire to maintain dental hygiene by cleaning their teeth throughout the day. Unfortunately, many daily environments do not provide a setting which fosters or even allows such activity. Moreover, travelers and those working in office environments may not find it convenient to use a toothbrush during the day. For instance, toothbrushes are not generally well-suited to be carried by persons on a day-to-day basis because of their bulky shape and the need to have access to a restroom lavatory.
In response to this desire for more frequent dental hygiene and for a cleaning device that can be easily used in public, various portable toothbrushes have been developed. In particular, a number of finger-mounted teeth cleaning devices were developed that could be placed on or over a finger and wiped over the teeth and gums. These devices are typically small, portable, and disposable.
One example of such a disposable teeth cleaning device is described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,902,509 to Tundermann et al. This device is made of a high wet strength material, such as a woven or nonwoven fabric, laminated to or coated with, a water-impervious material. The water-impervious material could be a thermoplastic material, such as polypropylene. Additionally, various materials, such as flavoring materials, bacteriostats, dentrifices, or detergents could be applied to the device. To use the device, one could simply place it over a finger and rub the surface of the device over the surfaces of the teeth to remove food and plaque films.
A similar oral hygiene finger device was more recently described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,445,825 to Copelan et al. In particular, this device includes a packet of protective material that contains a membrane therein. The membrane could, for example, be made from a nonwoven cellulose fiber mat with an embossed striated texture. The device described in Copelan et al. is dry and utilizes only the moisture in a user's own mouth. This packet could also be made from foil or moisture-impervious sheet plastic material.
These teeth cleaning devices, although portable, often fail to remain tightly fitted on a user's finger during cleaning. However, some finger-mounted teeth cleaning devices were developed to contain an elastomeric material that could help prevent the device from slipping or falling off the user's finger during cleaning. Examples of such teeth cleaning devices are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,068,941 to Dunn; U.S. Pat. No. 5,348,153 to Cole; U.S. Pat. No. 5,524,764 to Kaufman et al.; and PCT Publication No. WO 95/31154 to Mittiga et al. Despite the apparent benefit of such elastic teeth cleaning devices, these devices remain deficient in a variety of ways. For instance, these devices are often difficult to process using high speed manufacturing techniques, thereby necessitating higher production costs. Moreover, these devices can also fail to adequately fit onto the finger of a user, can be allergenic to a user, and in some cases, lack an aesthetically pleasing appearance. In addition, these devices are often not suitable for application with various additives useful for cleaning teeth or otherwise improving oral hygiene. Furthermore, these devices are typically not breathable nor moisture-impervious.